


Cassie the net agent

by Rangerfan58



Series: Net agent stories [5]
Category: Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11481051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerfan58/pseuds/Rangerfan58





	1. Chapter 1

well Dark Shadow was in deep trouble. She was infiltrating a heavily fortified base, that doubled as a concentration/POW camp, all without backup because her partners were currently prisoners at said camp. The only consolation she had was that she had the most up to date PET on market, granted it was still in it's test phase to see if it would actually work because of the fact that it was designed as a watch, but officials figured that if anyone was capable of testing the new PET to it's limits it was a net agent

"Darkman" (while rolling on her stomach to avoid getting hit, and in an intense voice) "jack in" (standing up and in a slightly more normal voice) "power up! OK Darkman you're on your own until I can take care of a few of these creeps"

"no problem Dark Shadow, I can take these viruses no problem"

and so while Darkman took care of the viruses, Dark Shadow got out a staff and started using it on the guards in the room. Finally she was able to give Darkman some chips to handle some tougher viruses. Not to mention she also managed to hack through the security and unlock the door where her comrades were

"hey guys, think you could help me?"

"no problem but then we have to get Baryl into the nearest hospital"

"did you just say Baryl? I thought he was dead"

"so did everyone else, instead he's been a prisoner the whole time"

"well then let's bust everyone out"

and so they fight for about fifteen more minutes and then activate the bases self destruct sequence which gets them moving in high gear to a nearby helicopter

"um, I got here by boat and they had orders to leave as soon as they lost sight of me, anyone know how to fly this thing?"

(in a weakened voice) "I do"

"no Baryl, you're too weak to fly"

"we have no other choice Commander Beef"

"very well, but I'm keeping an eye on you"

"very well"

"Darkman jack in and take over if Baryl loses control of the helicopter"

"will do"

an hour later they quickly realized that they were running low on fuel

"if we don't find a place to refuel soon we're going to crash into the ocean"

suddenly Dark Shadow sees something she had been looking for ever since they were in the air

"let me talk guys, that's the ship that brought me to the island"

"won't they think you're dead?"

"nope, they had orders to wait until tomorrow sunrise before making such a declaration, not to mention that they're monitoring my vital signs with a special pill"

"that works"

and so she gets on the radio and quickly gains permission to land. Once the chopper landed the medics got a very big shock because of the fact that they hadn't been informed of the fact that Baryl had been found alive


	2. Chapter 2

"how is this possible? Baryl has been dead for three years now"

"nope just a prisoner of the creeps it appears"

well finally things had calmed down enough that a net official was finally able to get to the ship to interview the captured net agents about what went on during their five month captivity, it had been decided earlier that Black Rose would be the spokesperson for the group, mainly because the other two net agents were slightly worse off and needed to spend the night in sick bay

"well it really started after we woke up from being drugged"

_five months earlier_

"Black Rose, Mysteriyu are you both alright?"

"we're fine Commander...where are we?"

"in some sort of cell"

"who took us prisoner?"

"I don't know, I just hope that Dark Shadow can handle things without us"

"she will, she does have two Net Savers with her"

"true enough"

"still, we need to know who captured us so that once we're free we can take them down"

"well, we won't have time for that because my fish sword should do the trick"

suddenly they heard a weakened voice that they didn't recognize speak up

"don't waste you're strength, no one can escape the cells, they're designed to be unbreakable"

"who said that?"

"I did"

and so the person comes out from the darkness and all three net agents gasp at the sight of the person who spoke

"Baryl? I don't believe it, he's dead...he died three years ago in that explosion, there's no way you could be him"

"I'm...dead?"

"yes,  _imposter_ he's dead, the only things found were his PET, which was badly damaged, and his badly burned body. We only managed to ID him due to dental records his body was that badly burned"

"and no one has closure yet because we have yet to identify the criminal organization that killed him"

"Black Cosmos, that's their name" (sighs) "and they didn't kill me net agents...remember shortly before the explosion that 'killed' me how he...I disappeared for a short time?"

"what of it?"

"my DNA was taken during that time period by the Black Cosmos and after three years they created an inanimate clone of me"

"wait so the Black Cosmos had been around for that long and we're only  _now_ just finding it?"

"how do we know you're not lying to us about that?"

"simple, because until now...or well actually three years ago if you count my supposed death they've been discrete. They always made sure that nothing could be traced back to them, but things have changed in the past three years. I think they're planning something and it's  _big_ , soon enough they'll announce their presence to the world. It's already starting with three of the four net agents taken captive by them"

"and unless they want to fake our deaths as well, which would be quiet hard they'll have to announce who did it"

"exactly"

"well, we still can't know if you're telling the truth about being colonel Baryl"

"you want proof? I have proof right here"

and with that he rolls up his left sleeve and amidst all the torture scars they saw the unique brand that had been given to him upon his request six months before the explosion that had supposedly killed him

"it  _is_ you, but wait how could they miss that mark?"

"don't ask me, however you said the clone was badly burned right?"

"yes"

"then maybe...just maybe that area was burned as well"

"good point"

"so you're going to need a new identification mark once this is all over"

"yes but for now...we rest and hope someone rescues us"

"Baryl...just how weakened have you been during these past three years?"

"severely...at times it seems a miracle that I'm still alive"

"got ya, for now let's rest and reserve our strength for when it's needed"

"right"

and so that's what they do though for some reason Black Rose isn't tortured as often as the other two net agents but it still does happen


	3. Chapter 3

_present_

"and that's pretty much what happened to us during the five months we were gone...what happened the day we were captured?"

"the Dark Cosmos revealed themselves the day after they had taken you three captive, they also took responsibility for colonel Baryl's 'death'"

"I see, how did you guys find us?"

Dark Shadow walks in after having gotten food for everyone

" _that_  was not easy, first everyone had to clear their heads at learning who was to blame for the loss of Colonel and Baryl, after that we had to search several different locations to find you...and that was  _after_ getting a would be spy almost killed"

"so how did you guys find our location?"

"you know how I mentioned a would be spy almost killed? They succeeded in slipping in just long enough to discover your location and transmit it to us, that's how they were busted actually"

"how did the would be spy escape death?"

"net police in the area tracked his distress signal and found him in the nick of time"

"where is he now?"

"last I knew still in the hospital"

"that severely injured?"

"doesn't help he's currently in a coma"

"that would do it"

"indeed it would"

well they soon received word that they were an hour away from port, which at that point would have the two net agents transferred to a real hospital for the night and Baryl would be taken to a military hospital so that he could be taken care of as well. Once alone Black Rose asked about the newest PET

"so how's the newest PET so far?"

"pretty good, this is a custom PET due to the fact that I can actually have two netnavis, but it essentially works the same"

"does the company know that about you?"

"nope, all they know is that I special ordered it to have two battle chip slots in case of an emergency"

"have you tested the  _standard_  PET?"

"yep, by testing this one I've tested the standard because of the fact that the standard one is much simpler"

"so it meets your approval?"

"yes it does...once one minor bug is corrected"

"what was the problem?"

"it might have been the computers I was in but Darkman experienced a delay in getting the chips I sent him"

"that is a problem...will you tell them once you give your report?"

"yes, and I'll have them check mine and run tests on it so that they can fix the problem a lot easier"

finally the reached port and everyone went their separate ways. Three hours later Dark Shadow was still at SciLabs waiting for the results on her PET

"Dark Shadow what are you doing here?"

"hey Lan...I was asked to test the newest PET and it seemed to have a few problems so I brought it here to be tested by your father, the company has direct access to his reports so they'll know instantly if they have to fix anything"

suddenly Dr. Hikari walked out with a frown on his face

"dad?"

"Dark Shadow just how new is this PET?"

"I just got it a day before the mission...what's wrong?"

"they messed up the program somehow, it might be due to your customization or it might be with every PET, but for some reason the PET doesn't recognize that a chip has been inserted for several seconds...which could be deadly depending on what the navi is facing"

well the company called right at that moment and explained that they has miscalibrated something when making the PET so they needed a few more weeks for another final trial run

"but you said before the field test things were fine"

"yes...however we forgot to take into account that some net battlers are fast with their chips, either because they're in a life or death situation or they're just net battling for fun"

"I get it, let me know when the calibrations are done so I can do another field test"

"will do Dark Shadow"

(yawns) "well it's time I headed home"

"you've had a long day haven't you Dark Shadow?"

"you don't know the half of it, thank goodness tomorrow is the start of the weekend, I don't know if I would last the entire day tomorrow"

"what do you do when you're not a net agent?"

"none of your business Lan"

"yes dad"

and so everyone goes home. Once home Dark Shadow disappeared and the civilian Cassie appears once more


	4. Chapter 4

_some dots signify letters said longer than normal_

"man, I'm so tired I don't even want to eat dinner...but if I don't my family will start to get worried about me"

and so she eats dinner with her family who notice just how tired she was

"Cassie, was your work at SciLabs that tiring?"

"no dad, did Commissioner Kifune, call you earlier today?"

"oh yeah, I forgot he mentioned he stopped you on the way to SciLabs and asked for your help with something"

"and that's why I'm so tired dad"

"well then, just go to bed and don't worry about chores tomorrow"

"thanks dad, night-night"

with that she falls asleep on the couch

"did she just say night-night?"

"yes"

"man she hasn't said that in years"

"I know, guess that proves just how tired she is"

"yeah"

well over the next few weeks both Colonel and Baryl recover plus the net agents give Cassie a break and she's able to just be a normal kid again. One day though everything changed and it began with an attack on SciLabs where the new PET's were  _finally_  being completed, after several more bugs had been discovered and corrected, and that's where the net agents and Net Savers were to get their new PET's

"I can't believe we're the first ones to get the new PET's"

"don't forget they're open to the public starting at noon today"

"we won't"

suddenly though there was an attack on the net and while all the navis were already jacked in they needed some back up big time

"Darkblade battle chip in download!"

"Widesword battle chip in download!"

"Woodtower battle chip in download!"

"Aquatower battle chip in download!"

"boomerang bone battle chip in download!"

"Variablesword battle chip in download!"

and so the battle was on with the battle chips inserted. During the battle Lightman showed up for a bit and then left to help another area supposedly and Darkman joined back in, also during the battle everyone had moved to several different areas inside SciLabs so they could now only communicate through their PET's

"Darkman did you see Lightman on your way back?"

"yes, last I knew he was weakened but fine"

"will he be deleted without us?"

"I don't know, but Cassie would let you guys know right?"

"valid point"

suddenly though a really powerful attack hit Darkman, but he wasn't hit with deletion, instead he was infused with dark power, power that was similar to the dark chips

"Darkman"

everyone hesitated until Dark Shadow spoke up

"delete him"

"delete him but..."

"he wouldn't want to be like this delete him"

"but Dark Shadow"

"do...i...t!...!"

"very well Dark Shadow"

and so together Megaman and Protoman delete Darkman, with Dark Shadow watching them do it because she had run to their location to see his deletion in the main room instead of on her PET and everyone could see tears running down her eyes as Darkman was deleted

"Darkman...Darkman...Da...r...kma...n...!"

Dark Shadow simply cried and was left alone for several hours, even the net agents left her alone. Five hours later in a separate room

"what do we do to help her guys?"

"we don't know"

"what about back up data?"

(sighs) "that won't work, Darkman is so unique that he  _can't_  be brought back"

"there wasn't even a back up plan?"

"how could we?, you have to understand something, Darkman was created during a crises, and his programming was created just differently enough that he can't be saved"

"how was Dark Shadow chosen anyways?"

"classified"

"we understand"

"hopefully Cassie will give us  _some_ good news today"

"maybe"

the next day at school everyone noticed Cassie looking down

"hey Cassie, what's wrong?"

"Lan, you know how after I got my new PET, which I had pre-ordered, I helped out at SciLabs?"

"yes...oh no don't tell me"

(nods) "you speak the truth...I don't even know why I wear the PET but it just...it's a comfort to know that I still have a part of Lightman with me, even if it's only the PET"

"man, the net agents lost Darkman yesterday too and in extension Dark Shadow"

"Darkman's gone too?"

"yeah, Dark Shadow had us delete him because he was infected with powers similar to the dark chip"

"that's harsh"

"yeah, it is indeed harsh, but I guess such is life"

"yeah, guess so"

Maylu comes over hearing their deep talk and actually points out a bright side


	5. Chapter 5

"at least...Darkman was destroyed before he could be used by evil"

"yeah, and like Dark Shadow stated he wouldn't of wanted that"

"say Cassie how long until Lightman is reborn?"

"I'm...I'm not sure Lan, right now it's too painful to think of Lightman being reborn"

"what's wrong?"

"if I brought Lightman back...his personality would never be the same because a part of him would be missing, he might not realize it but he would"

"did you forget to save that part of him?"

"more like couldn't, Lightman is a very special navi Lan, one you can't just remake at the drop of a hat"

"I think I get it"

"I don't"

suddenly though they had to stop talking because of trouble in the school

"Megaman"

"Roll"

"Gutsman"

"Glide"

"Iceman"

"Li...forgot he's no longer with me"

"jack in, power up!"

and so the five navis easily take care of the problem which were a couple of viruses and an unfamiliar navi

"probably an agent of the Dark Cosmos no one has met yet"

"until today that is"

"yes, until today"

"um Cassie, are you going to be OK?"

"eventually yes I'll be fine, but for now I'd like to be alone"

(sighs) "I don't know what to do, I mean she's lost her navi and her spirit all in one day"

"we'll think of something Lan, I know we will"

"you're right, and hopefully the other net agents will embrace Dark Shadow and help her cope with the loss of her navi as well"

suddenly though things would change drastically. Right after school that day Cassie was abducted by the Dark Cosmos and what's more, they faked her death and erased her memories. Baryl had found out while still in the hospital and was very,  _very_  angry at which point the net officials of Netopia had to explain the entire situation to the net agents and Net Savers in private

"there's something everyone here needs to know about Baryl" (sighs) "Lan Hikari do you remember about five years ago an incident happened at your fathers lab?"

"sort of, I do recall that dad looked depressed and wouldn't talk about it, I also remember that Cassie was upset about something as well, it involved her family from what I recall"

"very good, seeing as how you were only seven years old at the time, that day five years ago Cassie's older brother was helping your father with a research project involving net navi's and there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared all that was left was some clothes and his PET if I recall from the reports"

Lan's father was also in the room and confirmed the report

(sighs) "what you don't know, what no one knew was that you guys accidentally created a temporal portal and her brother was transported five years into the past, his injuries were pretty severe when he came to us. Once he healed he told us everything and decided to become a soldier, he also underwent a name change for when we got to the time period of the accident. His name, was Brandon and he used to live in Dentech"

"Brandon...Baryl is Brandon?"

"yes Dr. Hikari, Baryl is Brandon, the same Brandon you thought killed all those years ago"

"no wonder he's mad, he just lost his little sister"

"exactly"

"by the way how's Dark Shadow? Netopian officials heard what happened hours after the event"

(sighs) "what we say is not to leave this room, understood?"

"what is it?"

"has anyone noticed that when Lightman is around Darkman isn't and when Darkman is around Lightman isn't?"

"well yes but they're in different areas fighting"

"then how come no one says anything about either one of them once the battle ends?"

"no idea"

"that's because they're one and the same person, Dark Shadow has been trying to perfect a chip that separates the two but it's not easy, so far while they can fight as separate individuals they can't talk to each other and only one of them can talk while the other has to say silent...even if their thought processes are completely different"

" _that's_ why Dark Shadow said her new PET was customized, but wait if Darkman and Lightman are essentially the same navi then that means..."

"exactly Chaud, Cassie is Dark Shadow in disguise"

"wow talk about responsibility, wait...Dark Shadow mentioned after the battle that Darkman was created during a crises and thus couldn't be recreated or saved, and the next day Cassie mentioned that while she  _could_ bring back Lightman he wouldn't be the same because part of his personality would be missing, even if Lightman himself didn't know it, is that what she was talking about?"

"indeed it is, you see guys Darkman was created during a crises like Dark Shadow said, what she didn't mention was that it happened while saving us, we were dealing with a major virus outbreak about two years ago and Lightman took a hit meant for Sharkman, we brought both him and Cassie to our headquarters and she essentially begged to become one of the group, she also helped bring Lightman back but the cost was by fusing with a navi that also was badly damaged and just happened to wonder into our secure area just hours before the battle started. When that happened Darkman was born and they quickly discovered that they could switch between forms, just like Cassie would switch between being Dark Shadow and Cassie"

"and after the battle I bet she realized that having a means of separating them would be a good thing in case both their powers were needed"

"exactly, and a year ago she finally succeeded, but like we said, the chip is faulty"

"maybe...maybe I can complete it, we may never have a use for it but at least her final project will finally be completed, like she wanted it to be"

"thank you Dr. Hikari I think we are in your debt"

"and maybe, we could also special order another PET that had the same functions as her old PET, it will never be used but hey it's better than nothing plus...I think this will help us heal, even if only just a little bit"

and so three years past, the group got older and the net agents helped out often. During the three years Cassie was given a new name and harsh training, she was part of a hidden section of the Dark Cosmos organization, one that tested methods of forcing people to work for them and she was the first of the memory wipe and then train method which was currently the most successful method that they had


	6. Chapter 6

"Sandra I have a mission for you"

"what is it master?"

"I want you to attend Dentech high and befriend a Net Saver called Lan Hikari"

"and once I do that sir?"

"destroy his navi by any means, but not before attack SciLabs"

"if I may sir, what reason do you have for me to do this?"

"I know you don't remember much before the accident so I'll simply tell you. SciLabs and more specifically Dr. Hikari is the one responsible for your families death, and the reason why I am now permanently scarred"

"then I'll do so with pleasure"

and so they go to their room and access their PET

"come on Shardman we've got a job to do"

"about time, wonder why it took so long for us to get a real mission"

"who knows, now come on it's time I moved to Dentech and register for school"

a few days later Sandra started her first day of school

"hello class we have a new student joining us today"

and so Sandra walks in and introduces herself and actually gets to sit by her target

"Lan could you help Sandra for today in math?"

"no problem Mrs. Wanda"

and so over the next several weeks Sandra gains the trust of all her old friends that she had forgotten and had even met the other two permanent Net Savers. Baryl had transferred from Netopia so that he could be closer to his old family and it had been approved, he also helped out at SciLabs fairly often and had actually been the one to fix the problem with the separation chip that Cassie simply couldn't figure out. Finally Sandra was let into SciLabs and Baryl was actually there that day because he and Colonel were testing a new battle chip before it went to market

"don't forget Baryl if this works we still have to test it in Synchro mode"

"right, but lets see if it works normally first"

unfortunately the chip doesn't work

"let's take a break"

"right, Colonel do a patrol of SciLabs security for an hour, you never know what could happen"

"right"

well Sandra split off from the group and went to the control center and jacked in her navi

"Shardman, jack in, power up"

and five minutes later Shardman is reeking havoc and Baryl gets an alert

"someone's in the system causing trouble"

"oh brother"

and so they go to the main control room and see Sandra causing the trouble

"why Sandra, why are you doing this?"

"for revenge, for the death of my family and my boss who was permanently scarred"

"not if I can help it"

and so she and Baryl start fighting and soon Lan joins in as do the others. Fifteen minutes later they succeeded in subduing Shardman and Sandra and put both of them in secure holding areas in SciLabs

"come on let's run tests and see if we can find anything that would explain their behavior"

"yeah, they did seem a bit odd when we were fighting"

and so they scan Shardman and are shocked at the results

"this...this is impossible, get the net agents here  _now_!"

"Dr. Hikari, if Shardman is  _them_  what about Sandra?"

at Chaud's words both Dr. Hikari and Baryl  _pale_  at that thought

"start scanning Sandra, we might have found another old friend"

and so they scan Sandra and the net agents arrive just as the results are in and Baryl loses it completely at the results, he starts swearing like crazy and no one gets near him, not mention no one  _wanted_  to get near him with his anger. Five minutes later

"um, is anyone going to calm him down?"

"nope, he needs to calm down on his own this time"

"anyone want to contact Netopia and see if Dingo's available for help?"

"last I heard he was on special assignment and couldn't be reached"

"joy, so we have no way of calming Baryl down?"

"exactly"

while Baryl had vented Dr. Hikari had scanned further and had actually discovered some good news regarding Sandra and Shardman

"hey Baryl, if you calm down I want to tell you something"

but Baryl doesn't hear Dr. Hikari and he actually goes as far as throwing a chair while still swearing about what had happened to his sister

"want us to arrest him?"

"no, I understand that he's venting, if it gets worse then subdue him and arrest him for his own safety, but I won't press charges for any destruction...especially because he's acting out what I'm feeling right now"

"makes sense then"

finally right after he broke a computer he actually calmed down realizing what he was doing

"sorry for the destruction Dr. Hikari, I'll pay for the damages when I can"

"are you OK Baryl?"

"I'm not injured"

"good, now then you vented your anger and did something I myself was tempted to do, I am not going to press charges for the damage, now then get yourself checked out to make sure you didn't injure yourself in your fit of rage. Once that is done I have some information for everyone here that I think you'll like"

well Baryl was indeed given a clean bill of health and they quickly got back to SciLabs


	7. Chapter 7

"all right Dr. Hikari what's the good news you have?"

"whoever took the two of them made a slight mistake, not only could I discover the truth about Shardman and can reverse it, they didn't completely delete and modify Sandra's memory"

"meaning what?"

"essentially I can bring Lightman and Darkman back and Cassie will remember her true self once more"

"wait, I think she might've been the one causing trouble even before we brought her here"

"more then likely and under orders as well"

"so we can bring her back?"

"yep, for Shardman it's easy, I just need to give him an anti-virus for Sandra I need to keep her under for 24 hours while I re-access her memories"

"that's great news Dr. Hikari, how soon can it be done?"

"now"

"then do it"

well it would turn out slightly more complicated then originally planned. But three days later Cassie was awake and in SciLabs

"what happened to me?"

"hello Cassie"

she turned at the sound of the voice and saw an unfamiliar face

"who are you?"

"I'm the doctor who's been looking after you for the past three days"

"I've been asleep for three days?"

"yes however..."

"what is it?"

"I think I'll let Dr. Hikari explain the full situation to you"

"OK maybe he can also explain the jumbled memories that keep filtering in through my head"

and so Dr. Hikari and the rest of her friends come in

"hello Cassie how are you feeling?"

"pretty good, but also a little confused"

"how so?"

"for some reason I remember taking orders that involve destroying SciLabs"

(sighs) "unfortunately, you did have those orders...Cassie, you've been legally dead for the past three years, and while you were gone your memories were almost wiped clean and you were brainwashed into working for some organization that we don't know about"

Cassie thinks back and finally remembers everything

"Dark Cosmos, they took me and wiped my memories out, or at least tried...wait I've been gone for three years?"

"yes, you've been gone for three years"

"how'd my family take it?"

"it was hard on them, but together they've been coping, I think it helps that shortly after you were declared dead they found out they were expecting"

"I have a baby sibling?"

"twins actually, a brother and a sister"

"wow"

"there's something else you need to know, if you want Baryl"

"it's time, after all I have permission and my family is going to find out today as well"

"Baryl what's going on?"

"it's me Cassie, it's Brandon"

"Brandon?...but how?, you died when I was seven"

"no I was transported about five years into the past and into Netopia"

she hugs him fiercely

"it's great to have you back big bro...so mom and dad are going to find out today?"

"yes, after you get your navi back"

"by the way the Net Savers know that you're Black Shadow"

"understood Baryl, so then time for me to get my navi back"

and so they go to the control room and Lightman is delighted to see Cassie again

"I can't believe what we've been through for the past three years"

"I know, how's you're PET?"

"feels just like the old one"

commander Beef speaks up

"that's because it is you're old one, oh one more thing, catch"

and so Cassie catches a battle chip but is a bit confused as to why she has it

"um what's this?"

"Dr. Hikari and the scientist completed your chip Cassie"

"this is the separation battle chip?"

"indeed it is"

"how did they perfect it?"

"by thorough research and discovering where you went wrong in making the thing"

"but how do they know for sure that it works?"

"try it out yourself"

"OK separation battle chip in download!"

and so the two separate and are actually able to talk at the same time

"alright let's see if the battle chips work as well, widesword, darksword battle chips in download"

and the chips do indeed work as they were supposed to

"well boys we're back in business"

"um how are we supposed to get back together?"

"you forgot already? Unity battle chip in download"

and with that Lightman and Darkman become one again

"so, now what? I mean the Dark Cosmos will be expecting me to report in soon"

"we already sent a message that you had been captured"

"they'll expect me to escape though"

"then I don't know, if you go back they could find out we returned you to your old self"

"I'm afraid that's a risk we're going to have to take Dr. Hikari"

suddenly though there was a voice of disapproval

"no, I won't lose you again, besides we haven't even told the family the good news"

"what other choice do we have Baryl? I need to report in soon or there will be another attack where they will try and free me"

"but the family needs you, you have two siblings who don't even know what you sound like"

"and what about you?"

"to them I'm a family friend Cassie"

that actually shocked Cassie

"how did that happen?"

"pretty easily actually, it was about three months after they found out they were expecting and four since you had been declared dead"

_three years ago_

"I don't know commissioner, after all they don't know me as Baryl"

"but they need to know this new information, plus the rest of her old friends are here as well, and you  _know_  that even though some of them don't know the truth they all consider you a friend as well"

(sighs) "then here goes nothing"

and so they walk up to the door and are let in by Cassie's father

"um commissioner Kifune, who is this person?"

"my name is Baryl, I have the rank of Colonel in the Netopian army, but I hope to be transferred here within the next few weeks"

"you never told me that"

"it was supposed to be a surprise, besides it still might not happen"

"um I don't mean to interrupt but what are you two doing here?"

right after the question was asked they heard the sound of someone being sick

"um is she still having morning sickness?"

"hopefully it'll end soon, so what brings you two here?"

"ah, yes, you see we found out some new evidence in the death of your daughter"

"what is it?"

"it appears that for the past several days before her death she had been followed by someone. We believe that person to be an agent of the Dark Cosmos"

"but why would they follow her?"

"who knows, but we think it's because she's friends with Net Savers and net agents as well"

"makes sense, do you know where they are now?"

"unfortunately no but we are looking, Colonel is doing a complete sweep of Dentech security right now to see if we missed anything, and also Netcity now that I think of it"

well they talk for a few more minutes but then Baryl stops and turns back towards the family

"there's something I never told anyone, I was in the area when Cassie was killed...if I had just been five minutes faster getting to the school I could have...could have"

he breaks down after finally revealing the hidden facts that no one knew for the past four months, a pain he had been carrying alone because no one knew of that fact. Cassie's father knelt down and put his hand on Baryl's shoulders after that had been revealed

"you never told anyone this before have you?"

Baryl simply shakes his head letting him know that's exactly what happened

"we don't blame you Baryl"

"you don't but..."

Cassie's father forces Baryl to look at him in the eyes

"you did everything you could! I know you did, because now that I think of it I've heard of you Baryl, you're known as Baryl the immortal, a top officer in the Netopian army, you're also the one who survived three years of torture at the hands of Dark Cosmos. I don't think I would've survived that long if it had been me who was taken"

Cassie's mom takes over then

"I was out that day Baryl and I saw the explosion even if at the time I didn't know what had happened. I was there that day Baryl and now that I think about it I remember seeing you trying to help the injured as best you could before paramedics took over...I think, I think you were the one who secured the scene for the police weren't you?"

"yes, that was me, the news people never got wind of me because of the fact that I left as soon as I was no longer needed so they didn't see me"

"if they did they certainly didn't know who you were that's for sure"

Baryl finally calms down enough to let them know he was ready to leave and never enter their lives again

"Baryl, this has been hurting you for so long, and I know you're a friend of Lan Hikari and his friends which makes you a friend of Cassie's. I want you to know that from now on you're a family friend and we want you to be in the lives of our kids"

"thank you"

"don't be surprised if you come by so often they think of you as an older brother as they get older"

"either that or an uncle"

they didn't notice the shocked look Baryl had because of the fact that though they didn't know it Baryl was indeed the older brother of the two kids (though they would't find out about it being twins for another month)


	8. Chapter 8

_present_

"and so I've continued to visit on a regular basis and was even there for their birth, they're only just talking but I think our parents are right in that they think of me as an older brother...which of course I am but our parents don't know that yet now do they?"

"well they're about to find out"

"yes they are"

and so they head home and then suddenly Cassie gets real nervous

"Baryl, I suddenly don't know if this is the right thing"

"are you nervous about how our parents are going to react?"

"yes, I am"

"don't worry, they've missed you and have wanted you alive for a long time now"

"what about my baby siblings?"

"they have pictures of you and I  _know_  they look at them frequently and mention how you're their big sister"

"seen it often enough?"

"yes, now then they don't recognize me because I've changed a lot during the time jump but after today they'll know the truth"

"I just hope they accept that the past three years have been a lie"

"one that you had no choice but to be a part of now come on, it's time for you to see the family again"

"thanks Baryl"

and so they go up to the door and Cassie's father answers it and is silent in shock. Five minutes later her mom comes out

"dear who is it?"

she sees past her husband and is also shocked, but finally is able to speak

(just loud enough to hear) "Cassie?"

"hi...mom"

"Cassie but how? I thought...you died, commissioner Kifune and Baryl said you were dead"

"can we come in? I can explain everything once we sit down"

and so Cassie and Baryl are easily let in and are also given tea

"OK first of all I never meant to hurt you. Three years ago I was abducted by Dark Cosmos and had my memories wiped, I also went through harsh training to be part of their organization"

"how did you get your memories back then?"

"thank Dr. Hikari, after I attacked SciLabs under orders he brought both me and Lightman back to our old selves"

"why didn't he tell us?"

"from what I understand he wasn't sure if or when I would wake up after the procedure"

"he didn't want us to have false hopes"

"no he didn't...um mom, dad there's something else you need to know, it's about Brandon"

"Cassie you know as well as I do that he died many years ago"

(sighs) "no mom, I didn't"

when Baryl said that both of the parents looked at him in shock

"Baryl, what are you talking about?"

"it's me mom, it's Brandon...when the explosion happened all those years ago I was sent five years into the past and into Netopia. Once I healed they helped keep up the pretense that I was gone and gave me Colonel and legally changed my name. I've been Baryl ever since, if you want a blood test done to prove my identity I'll do it...I just want to be with my family again that's all that matters to me"

"that's why you requested to transfer to Dentech isn't it?"

"that's only part of the reason, the other part is that the net agents temporarily lost Dark Shadow so I decided that to counter-act that loss I would transfer here with Netopian approval and work in Dentech to help combat the crime"

well after that for the first time in over eight years or so most of the family hugged each other again

"wait, is Dark Shadow back then?"

"well..."

"yes she is, the other net agents just need to get her re-registered and she's back on duty"

"that's good to hear, though from what I understood she would never accept a new navi"

"um...you know how I have Lightman back?"

"yes...wait I think I get it Darkman was found too"

"exactly"

"I'm happy for both of them"

finally Cassie and Baryl had some alone time and Cassie quickly explained that her family besides him still wasn't supposed to know about her being a net agent

"will they ever find out?"

"maybe, but if they do it will be because either I'm the leader and I tell them or commander Beef allows it"

"I understand...is it partially for their safety?"

"exactly, you were told because Netopia revealed the truth about you and you're a Net Saver, so you can handle yourself"

"but our parents and baby siblings can't"

"exactly"

what Cassie didn't know was that for about a year after she became a net agent her parents had been suspicious of some of her activities and suspected she was the newest net agent named Dark Shadow. But it hadn't been confirmed until her sudden temporary retirement was announced by commander Beef after Cassie had been believed killed and they never got Lightman back (she hadn't mentioned his destruction). While commander Beef had said it was because she had recently lost Darkman they knew the full truth, but they had decided that they would never reveal that they knew the truth for everyone's safety

"think we should tell her that we suspected for a long time and only confirmed after her sudden temporary retirement was announced?"

"no, we promised we would  _never_  reveal that for the safety of our family and reaffirmed that when we found out about our unborn kids"

(sighs) "you're right John and Sarah are too young to protect themselves right now"

"which is why we'll protect them by keeping the secret"

"but if we need to we'll tell her agreed?"

"agreed, now come on let's make a cake for our reunion"

"um where are our oldest kids?"

they quickly searched for Cassie and Baryl and found them watching the twins already in big brother and big sister mode and decide to leave them alone for now and go to make the cake


	9. Chapter 9

(smiles) "Baryl quickly got back into the big brother routine and Cassie is easily getting into the big sister routine"

"then again Baryl has been over enough times that we trust him and he has done this before"

"yeah, but before today we didn't realize that he was being a big brother"

"well John and Sarah already think of him as a big brother, it's just that now it's official"

they look at each other in mild surprise

"looks like we've easily accepted Baryl as our lost son Brandon fairly easy as well"

"can you blame us after our suspicions of Cassie?"

"nope, even though he's had a legal name change he's still Brandon"

"yeah, he just has military training now to go with his bark that he's always had when it came to Cassie's safety"

"well seeing as how Cassie is Dark Shadow I wouldn't want to mess with her either"

"ah, but remember we don't officially know that"

they look at each other in thought and then another thought comes to their heads

"you know, if they're here when we aren't and someone tries something..."

"you mean like the almost abduction that happened three months ago?"

"yeah"

(grins) "I wouldn't want to be those people"

"especially considering that even if she can't reveal her status as a net agent Cassie still knows how to fight"

"and Baryl? I  _know_  he can fight off attackers"

"think we should let them baby sit more often?"

"well remember they still have jobs"

"right, but we know that they will let the neighbors look after them in that case"

"true enough...Baryl did it when he was younger and after Baryl was gone whenever we weren't home she went over to the neighbors so that she was safe"

"exactly"

as it turns out their protective nature would be put into action a lot sooner then they thought because right as their mom was getting the ingredients for the cake out there was a huge commotion and their parents were quickly taken out. In the twins room

"hear that?"

"yes"

"I'll see if I can check it out without being caught, if I don't come back in five minutes consider me caught and get these two to the neighbors"

"and once that's done I'll come back and try and rescue you"

"don't even think it Baryl"

"I'm Baryl the immortal sis I can handle myself"

"true, but if something  _does_  happen to us who's going to take care of these two?"

(sighs) "you have a point, OK five minutes then I want a sit rep"

"you got it"

turns out she only needed a minute

"OK here's the situation, there are at least four men in our house and mom and dad are tied up. They are wrecking the living room right now so I think they're searching for something"

"probably right"

"I think I have a plan, I know how to use a staff and am pretty competent with it"

"as Cassie?"

"why do you think Dark Shadow even has a staff?"

"you got that idea from your self defense training?"

"yep"

"but wouldn't your classmates and instructor recognize that then?"

"one my staff instructor died a year after he taught us, second the other students are either dead or in another country"

"news reports"

"finally and this is the most important part Dark Shadow only uses a staff when she's surrounded and has to do physical fights as well as net battling"

"I think I understand now, unless you've fought them as Dark Shadow they shouldn't recognize you"

"exactly"

"OK then, I'll get these two to safety and wait for the all clear signal, how long should I wait?"

"half an hour, if you don't get the all clear signal by then alert commissioner Kifune"

"understood"

and so while Baryl sneaks out of the house Cassie gets a wooden staff that she practices with and quickly gets down stairs

"hey creeps...leave my family alone"

"so there was another person here...wait a minute, Sandra where have you  _been_? the boss has been wait three days for your report"

"two things a) I failed and b) my  _name_ is Cassie not Sandra you wiped my memories from me, or so you thought. Dr. Hikari brought my true self back"

"but how? I know for a fact we wiped all memories from you"

"that's what you think, as it turned out I wanted my memories so bad I hid them in the deepest parts of my mind"

"and Dr. Hikari brought your memories back after you were captured"

"exactly and Shardman is back to normal as well"

and with that she rushes the criminals and starts fighting them with her staff

"now tell me, what do you want with my family?"

"simple your father has been doing research into some new technology but he doesn't work for SciLabs so we figured we'd come here and see if there were any notes left around at the house"

"and if that didn't work you would hold mom ransom right?"

"exactly, now then  _Sandra_  time to say good-night"

and with that they knocked her out with a drug, not knowing about Baryl and the twins being in another house. But while the criminals didn't know about the twins or Baryl the two adults did and they figured that if Cassie was fighting the criminals that meant that Baryl had taken the twins to safety

"there's nothing here sir"

"well then let's take these three with us and go, maybe a little torture of himself or his family will persuade this scientist to reveal more about his research"

and with that they leave not knowing they were being watched by Baryl

(turns to the neighbors) "can you watch over the twins until further notice?"

"sure, but why?"

"they've taken Cassie and her parents captive, I'm going to call commissioner Kifune and inform him of the situation, and then I'm going to follow them"

"but Baryl, you're just one man, wouldn't it be better for you to wait for police backup?"

"maybe but if I wait any longer we'll lose them"

(sighs) "very well but answer us one question first"

"what is it?"

"how is Cassie alive?"

"whatever you do don't ask that question again, but since you could be in danger if you don't know I'll tell you. Dark Cosmos faked her death and almost wiped her of her memories"

"she's been with a criminal organization for three years?"

"not by her choice but yes she has been"

"then get them and make them pay for the pain and suffering that family has had to endure"

(smirks) "with pleasure"

"and Baryl be careful"

"oh come on I'm Baryl the immortal"

and with that he leaves

"either he has a swelled ego from that title or he uses it to reassure other people"

"I think it's the second one, after all if people are worried about him who knows what they'd do"

"so he uses his nickname to boost their confidence"

"exactly, though eventually he'll die of old age or from a mission"

"yeah, but I think it will be old age"

and so commissioner Kifune is quickly informed of the situation and the fact that Baryl was following them at a distance

"can't you put a tracer on the car so that you aren't killed?"

"tried and failed...twice now"

(sighs) "just...just don't get yourself killed OK?"

"I'll do my best"

suddenly though he would be thought killed and Colonel deleted because there was a rocket launched at him from the van that had his family, and in the net Colonel had been attacked at the very same moment. But Baryl had scored a victory by getting a tracer onto the car. At the police station

"Baryl and Colonel may be gone...but they gave us the chance to track their car any where's and from a safe distance too, the air"

and so that's what they do. An hour later they wind up at a warehouse and the police start thinking up a plan of attack. Inside the warehouse Cassie finally woke up and learned of Baryl's "death" at the hand of Dark Cosmos


	10. Chapter 10

"now that Baryl is gone along with Colonel we can get into net city much easier"

"exactly"

"is that true mom, dad, did they really kill Baryl?"

"yes, we saw it, as for Colonel we aren't sure but if he was attacked at the same time Baryl was then he was most likely deleted"

"I see, don't worry mom, dad I'll get us out of this...somehow"

soon enough she gets her idea from the boss coming to visit

"so I hear you've regained your memories Sandra"

"yes, however...if you promise to let my parents go I'll...I'll agree to be called Sandra again and work by your side until you complete your goal, I'll even tell you everything about SciLabs now that I have my full memories back"

her parents were shocked that she willingly would go back to being evil not realizing this was all part of her plan

"hm...agreed, however they stay here for the night"

"agreed"

and so later that night she was bringing them dinner and her parents ignored her until she said these unexpected words

"come on mom, dad we're busting out of here"

"wait you never intended on joining forces with him again?"

"nope, but I had to find some way of getting us to safety and this is how, the guards aren't very good at night, in fact from what I remember there aren't any guards at any of the entrances"

"what about our cell?"

"oh those two have been asleep for the past hour due to what I put in their food"

"slick girl, let's go"

and so they succeed in getting pretty far into the escape plan. The one thing Cassie forgot though was transportation and they would have to borrow a car and thus would get them busted

(sighs) "guess I forgot transportation"

"not your fault Cassie you made this plan on the fly didn't you?"

"yes I did"

well suddenly they got help from the police who during the day had planned a night raid so with the raid going on at the same time they escaped with several SWAT like police officers. At the police station that night

"I heard about Baryl, after I woke up from being drugged what exactly happened?"

"a rocket was used to destroyed his car and Colonel as well"

"has the body been recovered?"

"not yet, but we're working on it"

"what about the twins commissioner?"

"they're still with your neighbors"

"figured as much, after all Baryl is their big brother, he wouldn't put them in danger mom"

(sighs) "you're right, but you just never know what could happen. For all I knew he was taking the twins to the second location we trust them with, your grandparents"

"you're right, I forgot that the neighbors could be away"

they give a report to the police and then leave to get back to the twins

"chief, when you find his remains let us know, we have to take him back to Netopia, we have to take him to what was his home for many years for burial"

"I know, Netopian officials already know of his death and are sending in Dingo to help us until we get back on our feet"

"so his assignment is over is it?"

"yes his assignment is over"

and so they go to the neighbors first and are reunited with the twins

"oh John, Sarah thank goodness you're alright"

"where's Baryl?"

"he's...he's dead, Dark Cosmos killed him, for real this time"

"and he was such a nice man too, so much like Brandon when he was a kid"

seeing as how no one could know the truth about Baryl the family simply leaves and once home mourns in their own way. The next day Cassie went back to school for the first time since she had entered as Sandra and she quickly and quietly informed her friends about Baryl's death

"Dark Cosmos will regret that"

"easy Tory, we'll get them I promise, but for now we have to lay low...and don't forget I was an unwilling slave to them for three years so I know a bit how they operate"

(sighs) "you have a point"

"have they found a body yet?"

"no and of course with Colonel deleted we have no means of finding Baryl even if he were alive"

"you have a point"

meanwhile both Colonel and Baryl  _were_  alive, however Baryl was badly burned and Colonel needed healing time as well

"well colonel Baryl we're in for it now"

"I...know Colonel, however it's best...we're believed dead until we can...figure out a good way of...taking down Dark Cosmos"

"I remember the last time I was this badly injured and you were missing"

"oh was it that time period where...a year after Cassie was declared dead and I went undercover...and you had to get help for me?"

"exactly"

_about two years earlier_

"where am I?"

"easy Colonel you're at SciLabs"

"SciLabs...Baryl, where's colonel Baryl?"

"he's not here"

"we have to get to him and fast"

"easy Colonel you're wounded"

"doesn't matter, colonel Baryl is in danger if we don't get to him fast he could be killed"

"if you give us the information we need we'll get Baryl OK?"

and so Baryl is rescued and Colonel relaxes and allows himself to be healed


	11. Chapter 11

_present_

"of course right now we're both considered dead"

"and maybe...once I'm better...we can infiltrate Dark Cosmos"

"agreed"

and so three months later Dark Cosmos got a new member while the net agents and Net Savers were struggling to keep up with the newest developments regarding Dark Cosmos. At the station

"can't you do  _anything_ that will help Cassie?"

"commissioner Kifune, I have tried  _everything_  I can think of to get us one step ahead of Dark Cosmos but I fail at every turn and now I find out that they have a new member...I don't know it seems that ever since Baryl and Colonel were killed we've been down and out on luck"

"maybe I can ask Netopia for more help"

"sorry Dingo but it just won't work like that...how's Tomohawkman anyways?"

"he's fine, embarrassed at how badly he lost but fine"

"and Netopia?"

(sighs) "last I heard they were coping, I mean yeah, he was transferred here but he was still considered a Netopian soldier who could be transferred at any time"

"yeah, I know I think when he transferred here everyone knew it could be temporary but at least he stayed long enough for Dark Shadow to return"

"but now without him we're off balance again because of the fact that they're a lot stronger and tend to attack this area most"

"exactly, which was why I was transferred here as soon as my previous assignment was ended"

well suddenly everything would change with the fact that Dark Shadow and Dingo were taken captive by Dark Cosmos

"Brady you're in charge of the prisoners"

"yes sir, and Crossman will take care of their navi's"

"excellent"

well Dark Shadow glared at him fiercely and he just chuckled because of the fact that he knew he was currently unrecognizable as was Colonel

"oh relax you aren't going any where's so why try anything?"

"Dark Shadow just cool it, glaring isn't going to work and you know it"

(aggravated sigh) "you're right Dingo, but you know I'm surprised that the main boss hasn't come to try and do something more to me seeing as how I'm a net agent"

"you're right that is a bit strange"

well three weeks later both Dingo and Dark Shadow looked worse for wear, and the worst part about it was that they were trying to discover Dark Shadow's secret identity. While that was going on Brady was gathering up evidence to secretly send to Dentech Net police, but having some slight trouble due to the fact that every single Dark Cosmos agent was kept an eye on around the clock so they had to be  _extremely_  careful to stay in character at all times and also get the information they needed. Finally though they managed to catch a break because it turned out that whenever they were sent off base they weren't watched as closely as when on base. One day three weeks after they had captured Dingo and Dark Shadow they asked Brady and Crossman to go into Dentech on assignment

"what is the assignment sir?"

"you are to get groceries for us and also...cause panic at Waterworks, but don't do anything to the water supply for real got it?"

"understood sir"

"and you have leeway for how long you take on the mission as long as you get here before dusk"

"yes sir"

and with that Brady leaves. In the car on the way to Dentech


	12. Chapter 12

"well Crossman we finally have the opportunity we've been waiting for"

"exactly, how do you think the police will react to this though?"

"not sure, but hopefully commissioner Kifune will give us a chance to explain why we faked our deaths all those months ago"

"yeah, but probably not before locking us up as imposters"

(chuckles) "you have a point, maybe we should rethink our plan of revealing ourselves"

they look at each other and think about it for a minute and then at the same time

"nah"

"yeah, this is the most peaceful option we have available"

"exactly, though our 'boss' is about to get a rude shock"

"yes he is, hopefully though we'll finally learn his true identity"

"after what...over eight years of hiding it? I highly doubt it...colonel Baryl"

"well if the raid is sudden enough they might catch him...Colonel"

and so first thing they did was actually secretly check up on their family and then went to the police station

"may I help you?"

"yes I wish to speak with commissioner Kifune"

"about what sir?"

"about the surrender of a Dark Cosmos agent who has vital information for him"

as soon as he said that things went into overdrive. He was quickly cuffed and his PET confiscated and let to a secure holding cell until commissioner Kifune could meet with him. An hour later he was in the commissioner's office with his PET on the desk

"you said you have information for me?"

"yes, I actually have two things to say, first of all I can give you full access to what Dark Cosmos is currently doing and the location of their base, if you jack in my PET all the information we've gathered over the past three months will be of use to you"

"three months?"

"that's how long I've been with them, undercover of my own choice"

"meaning what?"

"that's the second bit of information I have, and this one I think you'll like"

"oh really?"

"yep, colonel Baryl and netnavi Colonel reporting in after being declared dead a little over three months ago"

"get the identification equipment up here"

"yes sir"

meanwhile Crossman sheds his Dark Cosmos identity and easily becomes recognizable as Colonel again

"I hate that disguise"

"oh and you think I don't Colonel?"

"forgot colonel Baryl, but don't forget some of it is scarring from that rocket"

"I know, and that's part of what gave me a great disguise, but still I hate the rest of my disguise"

well finally they were identified and confirmed as Baryl and Colonel

"it's good to know you didn't die but still...couldn't you have told us you were going undercover?"

"sorry commissioner but it happened kinda fast"

(sighs) "very well, but  _you_ are going to be the one explaining this to your family"

"but of course"

and so the raid was successful, as an added bonus they got the leader of the Dark Cosmos after so long and were shocked to find that it was a disgruntled employee of SciLabs that had been fired years earlier for some questionable research. Over the coming years Cassie and her friends graduated high school and went to college. The net agents retired when that happened though their identities were never revealed...though Dark Shadow confirmed that she would stay on as a net agent for years to come, and as a bonus the original net agents had chosen successors with their own secret identities and the Net Savers worked well with them. Many years into the future


	13. Chapter 13

"and so that friendship and work relationship continues today, only the current police commissioner knows old and new identities of the net agents and even then he has a means of erasing that from his mind in case he's ever captured for that information"

"what about Baryl mom?, was he ever revealed to be Cassie's big brother?"

"actually yes, about three years after his retirement it was revealed that he had accidentally time traveled and Netopia granted him citizenship because of that fact. Fortunately everyone respected his wishes to be left alone about that time period and his family was also left alone"

"did he ever retake his original name?"

"no, because he didn't need to, all that mattered to him and his family was that he knew who he was and so did they a good brother and son"

"where is he now mom?"

"oh, he died about ten years ago, three days before you were born from a rare form of cancer"

"how did he get the cancer?"

"no one knows for sure but they suspect that it was a delayed reaction from his time travel, but it could also be due to any one of his dangerous missions he undertook as a Netopian official"

"what about the original net agents mom?"

"they're still alive, but most definitely older and will most likely die within the coming years. Now come on the family reunion is tomorrow so I want you to get lots of rest"'

"OK mom"

and so the child went to bed and the mother went to the cabinet and brought out an item that very few knew of, a secret photo album that had pictures that the kids had never seen before, either the child's many cousins or her own child. While she was looking at the family pictures her husband came down to see here

"I thought you would still be down here after telling that story"

"oh, Brady, I miss him so much, even after ten years"

"I know Sarah, I know, I didn't get to know him for very long but he seemed like a good big brother and I get the feeling he would've made a great uncle...and father"

"and that's the worst part about it, he died before he could find out he was going to be a dad. Rachel was planning on telling him that evening after getting it confirmed at the doctor's earlier that day. But then..."

"then the surgery he was going to have to try and give him some longer time to live had complications and he died on the table"

"yeah...stupid cancer"

"you know it's interesting how Cassie seemed to be the one who was the pillar of strength for the three of you seeing as how your parents were out of town at the time"

"she's been through it before, several times really because the story I told was the truth"

"while leaving out that she was Dark Shadow"

"barely...and only because I've had time to work out ways of revealing her true self without doing so at the same time. Our kids will never find out their aunt Cassie was Dark Shadow, it's just too dangerous even now years after retirement"

"you're right, now come on we have a big day tomorrow"

and so the family reunion went off almost without a hitch, but with ten years of having a mom and an aunt without a husband the little ones finally got curious about it and they had to reveal the whole truth about Baryl being in the family

"mom where's his gravesite?"

"oh, it's in Netopia, he was buried with military honors"

"can we go see where dad is buried sometime?"

"of course we can...of course we can"

other than that the reunion went off without a hitch and it continued to be a family tradition for years to come. And visiting Baryl in Netopia also became a tradition, but only in the immediate family because they were given honorary citizenship in Netopia so they could visit a bit easier than they extended family, but every now and then the extended family was able to visit as well. And while that was going on all the friends of Cassie also had family that was considered to be her family as well and all of the group either became Net Savers or net agents. The only thing that kept them safe at all times was that the net agents identities were kept secret even from each other so as to keep everyone safe so no one knew if family was a net agent or not.


End file.
